Steve Borthwick will continue leading England through to the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia after the Rugby Football Union confirmed its full backing for the head coach and his staff.
The decision comes after what the RFU described as “a detailed and robust review” following England’s dismal Six Nations campaign earlier this year.
It was the team’s worst performance in the tournament for half a century, with four defeats marking the first time England had lost that many Five or Six Nations matches in a single season since 1976.
The historic 23-18 loss to Italy on 7 March proved particularly painful for supporters.
Steve Borthwick has survived the axe and will lead England at the World Cup
| REUTERS
The RFU’s investigation concluded that England’s poor showing wasn’t down to one specific problem that could be fixed by changing coaches.
Instead, the review identified several interconnected areas needing work, including lapses in discipline, failing to take scoring chances, and struggling to deliver when it mattered most.
The governing body had previously sacked Eddie Jones just nine months before the 2023 World Cup, and clearly felt that wasn’t the right approach this time around.
“This has been a thorough and honest review, and it is clear that improvement will come from addressing several areas rather than chasing one simple answer,” said RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney.
Sweeney pointed to reasons for optimism despite the disappointing results.
England finished second from bottom at the Six Nations – their worst performance in 50 years
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“We’ve all seen what this England side is capable of most recently in the performance against France, and during the strong winning run before that,” he said.
“That doesn’t disappear overnight.
“The challenge now is delivering that level consistently, and we are confident this group can do that, supported by the insight and feedback this review has surfaced.”
The RFU boss also emphasised that this is a young squad still finding its feet, noting that progress in international rugby rarely follows a straight line.
Borthwick himself engaged fully and openly throughout the review process, with clear plans already in place to tackle the issues raised.
The RFU have backed Steve Borthwick as England coach
| PA
England’s next challenge comes in the inaugural Nations Championship this summer, with a tough opening fixture against South Africa in Johannesburg on 4 July.
The squad will then return home to face Fiji in Liverpool the following week before jetting off to Argentina for their final match in Santiago del Estero on 18 July.
There had been speculation that Borthwick’s future might depend on results during these summer Tests, but the RFU has now put that to bed.
“We are all behind him and his coaching team going into the Nations Championship and the series of matches leading into Rugby World Cup 2027,” Sweeney confirmed.
